Seven Little Australians

ot Alway

quested Esther to ask Miss Marsh, the governess, to give them all ten French verbs to learn; but, as Judy pointed out, the General and Baby and Bunty and Nell had not arrived at the dign

rocking-chair a day later. She had on a trailing morning wrapper of white muslin with cherry ribbons, but t

untidy, you know, and Ju

torn off in several places, while Judy's exceedingly scant and faded pink zephyr

like to be nicely-dressed as well as anyone, but

t girls who were disturbing her serenit

ts, and put some buttons on your frock."

snapped an

, let me grasp it,'" she said saucily, snatching one of the pins fro

ddened a

ttons off my wrappers when I play with him. But I

s silence. Everyone c

aid Judy dramatically: "let us sh

go unpunished, especially as you have all been u

d hanged by the neck

him more vexed. He says you are the untidiest, most unruly lot of chil

weeping and gn

" Pip put his hand over her mouth and held

were taken for Thursday night, and now, you very fo

had all been looking forward to this treat for nearly a month

fellows at school have been." Pip's handsome face

n a half-choked voice. "Oh, Esther, why couldn't you have

d him, Esther?" Meg lo

Esther

t, beautiful

ck, and besought her to "be a good fellow"; Bunty buried his nose in her back hair and wept a silent tear; Meg clasped her hand i

done before, coax, beseech, wheedle, threaten;

ll day," she said, looking back from the doorway. "That would h

to witness the virtue of those c

ut not once did the sound of quarrelling, or la

dy had said solemnly, and all had promised so to conduct the

school books, and proceeded to the study where his father was w

ith a frown. "No, it's no good coming to the

it backward with my mathematics, so I won't waste all th

was so unsmiling and earnest that he was disarmed, and actually congratu

t I did when I was at school," he said graciously. "

will be a great help,

admiration plainly d

e said with a sigh. "I wonder if ever I'll get as good

aid the Captain, pi

them, seeing he had utterly forgotten now how to work decimal fract

other boys in my class in these subjects, I remember. We can't all excel in the sa

, Fa

canterbury with scissors, thimble, and a roll of narrow blue ribbon on her knee, and all he

ssed the door, and looke

it badly. I am glad you can make y

, Fa

ed on indu

d angle, and pyramids of books and sheaves of paper were on the table.

alled; and ther

with a snow-white doyley, and on it were a glass of mi

le lunch, Father," she said gently; and

child!"

t it very t

was Pip's age, and was Barlow's fag at Rugby. It

ill drink this?" She gave him o

h up in, my child." He took a mulberry, ate it

don't notice they're sour," she sa

uriously. "What made you think of bringing me anythin

here so long," she said gently; and P

ing sunshine Judy w

enerally, the garden was allowed to fall into neglect. More than once the Captain had spok

herself with an abnormally large scythe,

cut your legs off!" called he

the mulberry just as she brought her scythe round with an admirabl

tiful smile. "Oh, no, Father!-

r alarming but tru

d th-a-at-an

d "tha-a-a-at" switched off the top of a rose-bus

gulated grass-cutters," she said composedly

go and play quietly with your doll, and not d

to pleasure him," she said, appa

provide you with cork legs and re-stock

: you wouldn't be afther leaving half undo

h brogue at some occu

n and examine it yirself, it's

there in her short old pink frock, a broken-brimmed hat on her tangle of dark curls, her eyes

of the things miss Judy attempted-mischief always included: and her li

rn to mow, young lady of wonderful accomplishments?" (he looked at

s a quick push off

ered instantly; "and (B)-sure, and don't

the thought of her worried him. At present she was only a sharp, clever, and frequently impertinent child; but he felt she was utt

wed scarlet on her cheeks in excitement, and lent amazing energy and activity to her young, lithe body, would either make a noble, daring, brillia

the light that comes when the world's is going out, she had seen with terrible clea

ongst them now, and her father could not "be care

erent a mould from the others, wishing he could stamp out that strange flame in her that made him so uneasy at times. He gave

s in the long paddock; but there was somethin

d dipping something in and out with charming vigour. At the sound of his

for you, and Flibberty-G

orrified st

rty-Gibbet, the beautiful little fox terrier he had just bought for his wife, chained to a post, also wet, miserable, a

'n them now. AREN't you glad? You can let Flib

r-word" from her father, of being shaken in a most ungentle fashion and put outside th

so exceedingly bad that the young Woolcots determi

s bedroom and perform startling ablutions with his face, neck, and hands. Then he took his soap-shiny countenance and red

nd play," and saw he would have t

stairs and explored his father's bedroom and dressing-room. In the latter there was a wide field for his operations. A full-dress uniform was lying across a chair, and it struck Bunty the gold buttons w

piece. Bunty conceived the brilliant idea of cleaning the whole lot and standing them in a neat row to meet his father's delighted eyes. He fou

next would not shine, however hard he rubbed. There was a step on the stair, the firm, well-known

on a great armchair for convenience, as he was sitting on the floor, and now he not

ified look round the room for some place to efface himself, but there were no sheltering corners or curtains, and there was not time to get into the bedroom and under the bed. Near the window was a large-sized

y soul!" he said, and Bunty

it; kicked something over, and shouted "Esther!" in a terrifying tone. But E

anguage, more

together, and the cupboard, overbalanced, fell right over, precipitati

ah-boo-hoo-ooo! Esther-boo-yah-Judy-oh-oh-h! oh-oh-h-h-h-h!" As might be expected, his father h

oh-h-h-h! hoo-the pant'mime! boo-hoo! ah-h-h-h-you're killing me! hoo-boo! I was

why all the others are behaving in so strange a f

idn't-I never-true's faith-oh-h-h-hoo-yah! it wasn't my f

nd yelling to the nursery, where he fell on the floor

cry, "you m-m-mean p-p-p-pigs! I h-hadn't n-n-no fo-o-ow-l, and I've h-h-had all the b-b-b-beating! y

y comic when he was hurt ever so little; but still they comforted

looking very worried. "Wel

st exasperating childr

Esther-have you asked hi

serves you very well right! Meg, for goodness' sake give Baby some dry clothes-just look at her; and, Judy, if you have any feeling for me, take off that fro

ly. She had never seen her husband so thoroughly angered, and her beautiful

Bunty was still giving vent to spasmodic boos and hoos, Judy was whistling stormily, and the Gener

down her smooth, lovely cheeks. "Seven of you, and I'm only twent